buy new for warranty security, or buy used and save on depeciation but risk repair costs

I know more than most that owning a used motorhome outside of warranty can be expensive

When it comes to cars I rarely keep any car after the three year warranty period ends, I have been caught in the past with expensive repairs

We saw our current MH for sale privately and fell I love with it, blinkered by the rush of blood I ignored my normal concerns about warranty and bought it

But the MH we now own was list price £135K in 2007 , we could never have afforded or justified that much money, but it was registered in 2009 and we presume the buyer got some discount, we don't know what they paid, but we paid £68K in Feb 2013, even if the first buyer got it for £100K they then lost £32K and only did 2200 miles in their 3 year ownership

Based on this we got quite a bargain, so the £7/8K or so we have spent on what might have been warranty if newer has more than been covered by the saving

However, in reality, we invested slightly more than we ever planned to when we bought it, then added 'extras' that we felt we needed, so were basically skint, luckily it behaved near perfectly for 2 years giving us time to save up for these repairs

so back to my question, maybe a survey would be interesting but I don't know how , do most of us worry about no warranty when buying used, or do most of you buy new or nearly new to be safe?

Well ours was 6 years old when we bought it and we paid £52k which was £50k less than the previous owner paid new and close to £100k less than a new one would have cost us, he did 30,000 miles and in 4 years on we have done another 30,000 miles, service MOT and any repairs/replacement have been £1000 to £1200 per year, so to answer your question NO we didn't worry about not having any warranty and the saving would outweigh any possible repair costs.

So the next question is would we buy new next time, well the heart might say yes but the sensible head definitely says NO.

The only way I'd buy new now is if it was the ONLY way I could get what I wanted and there was no other option. Our last 2 have been 'used' - the Autocruise Accent PVC was a few months old and approx 1,000 miles on it, so still under warranty. Our current PVC was an unregistered ex-demo so we got the full 2 year warranty with it. So my choice would be to buy a nearly-new one with some warranty but without the high additional cost of a brand new one.

Contrast this to cars ... our Smart cars are not under warranty and, even though we've got an Ypsilon which is, it doesn't worry me about the Smarts though.

I suppose the one thing to consider is how likely is it that there'll be problems that are so major that you'd wish you had paid a higher price for the warranty ... and would that difference more than cover for the repair.

Only on our second van both brought new, by buying our Hymers in Belgium we can buy a new van for the same cost as a 2 year old one would cost in the UK, last van we kept nearly 6 years only lost 23% in depreaciation 5% a year. So for us it makes financial sence to buy new, but not in the UK.

Lenny

Must stop replying to these posts & do some work I need the dosh so I can afford to use the van.

I would not dream of buying from a dealer unless I win a fortune and it is the only way to buy new.
Being the confident sort I have bought our only two vans privately and have no regrets.
Using the forum for advice is where the savings are made e.g. @JockandRita directing me to an Alternator supplier at under £100 new etc etc etc
FUN is worth a fortune

I buy new or nearly new if I can, I certainly don't want to end up like the couple I saw in a layby in Portugal recently with a dangling broken obsolete exhaust.........most likely end of that trip!

Pleased owner of the Skoda equivalent of the Hymer family......

Godwins law: there is a tradition in many Internet discussion forums that once a (Nazi) comparison is made, the thread is finished and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically lost whatever debate was in progress. This principle is itself frequently referred to as Godwin's law. It is considered poor form to raise such a comparison arbitrarily with the motive of ending the thread.
(wiki)

As novices we bought ours new, absolutely on impulse and have never regretted any of it. We simply knew that we would enjoy holidaying in that vehicle and if we were mistaken and didnt like it / or it didnt work out we might quickly loose £20 K but you could soon spend that on a 2 or 3 luxury holidays and never see that money again. We wouldnt have borrowed the money for it though.
I would now, if I wanted to change, buy a top end nearly new motorhome and be glad to save thousands and willing to sort out repairable problems, but I would be worried that it was someone elses pup.
Personally I would always be reluctant to blow £150 K on a new van, but husband would do it. I just feel its a bit over the top for camping .......
After years in the office I absolutely hate paperwork and would happily pay a third party a fee to manage a purchase from abroad and save a chunk of money...... Business opportunity ...... but we are happy for now.

I bought a new RV almost six years ago and lost a shed load and have now bought a new Hymer, will I lose, yes, if I bought second hand I would have lost less but I dont care , there are no pockets in shrouds

Somebody has to buy a new vehicle.......but not me............ modern vehicles are so reliable.... apart from the first few years (sorting out the 'glitches') ............... the depreciation on new costs far more than any repairs on older vehicles... unless you are very unlucky

The most I have ever spent on a vehicle is £19k on a motorhome.......5 years ago

My current vehicles are a 2003 S type Jag, a 2006 PT Cruiser, both low miles and drive 'as new' and cost £1600 each....... a 1991 Eriba Motorhome with less than 60k on the clock (£6k)

I could afford newer........... but why?

I love driving them all........and (touch wood) I have never needed recovery or had 'catastrophic' repair bills in 50 years.............. the biggest cost is always depreciation

Our Autoquest 145 is 2010 with just 6300 miles & 1 previous owner in '' as new '' condition, full hab' & engine / chassis service history & we got a 2 year warranty, amongst other sweeteners

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Buffy was the same. We are buying new but only because we are having it customised for us and the price was right.

Our first van was a DIY conversion, the second an old Hymer and still on the road (had a few issues with it but got them sorted), then a few years without, Buffy was for a dealer but 2nd hand, and now we will have Jemima in the summer.